Process for preparing low fat cheese products

ABSTRACT

A low fat cheese product is prepared by mixing liquid milk with a stabilizer, e.g. carrageenan, and a lactic acid producer to prepare a cheese formulation solution. A clotting enzyme, e.g. rennet, is added to the solution, and the solution is then coagulated to form a curd in a whey solution. The pH of the curd is adjusted to and maintained at 4.7-5.5 and whey solution is separated therefrom. The curd is then ripened to form a low fat cheese product.

This is a continuation of copending application Ser. No. 08/067,455,filed on May 23, 1993, abandoned, which is a continuation of Ser. No.07/877,953, filed on Apr. 30, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,220 which isa continuation of Ser. No. 07/522,203, filed on May 11, 1990,(abandoned).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related generally to a method and article ofmanufacture of low fat, low cholesterol and low calorie process cheeseproducts. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a method ofmanufacturing various low fat, low cholesterol and low calorie realprocess cheeses, such as Process American, Process Mozzarella andProvolone. Such process cheeses exhibit the appropriate functionality interms of melting, stretching, slicing and shredding, as well as havinggood taste associated with typical higher fat process cheeses.

The general public has become increasingly aware of the need to controlthe intake of fats and cholesterol in their diets. Dairy products,particularly cheese products are regarded as a significant source ofsaturated fats and cholesterol. Medical studies have concluded thathuman consumption of such fats and cholesterol should be limited inorder to avoid such maladies as coronary heart disease. The generalrecommendation has thus been to greatly reduce and even eliminateconsumption of cheese which is a concentrated source of suchdetrimental, unhealthy fats and cholesterol. This recommendation israpidly becoming accepted by the public and is resulting in substantialdecrease in the consumption of cheese food products. Substantial effortshave been mounted over about the past ten years to discover a method andarticle of manufacture of low fat, low cholesterol cheese generallyhaving the flavor and texture of normal cheese. It has been determinedthat the presence of fat is important in obtaining the right body andtexture of the finished cheese, and the fat also has an important rolein the flavor of the cheese product. All of these features affectconsumer acceptability of the product. As stated by the cheese expertKosikowski in his textbook on cheesemaking, Cheese and Fermented MilkFoods, F. V. Kosikowski and Associates, Brooktondale, N.Y., 1978 2nded.:

In this diet and calorie conscious era, skim milk cheddar cheese wouldappear to be destined for greater popularity, but the fact is that thecheese has no appetizing characteristics. It is without much cheeseflavor and body texture is usually as hard as rock. Rapid drying out ofthe cheese during cooking is a characteristic feature, despite thenormal low cooking temperatures of 31° C. (Kosikowski, p. 242)

Imitation cheeses have been regarded as an inferior food because suchcheeses do not use natural milk, instead using casein derived from milkproteins obtained by chemical processing. In addition, imitation cheeseincludes numerous chemicals and additives which make the labelledcontents less appealing to the health-conscious consumer. Recently theUnited Dairy Association awarded the "Real" seal to dairy productscontaining natural milk ingredients. The consumer correlates the "Real"seal with high quality which has an important effect on themarketability of imitation cheeses.

Process cheeses typically contain an oil phase consisting of fats andoil soluble proteins and minerals. The two phases are not naturallycompatible and thus in order to produce a quality product, themanufacturing process requires modification by surface active proteins.Surface active proteins are generally soluble in both the oil and waterphases. One end region of the casein protein contains calcium phosphategroups and carries essentially all of the protein charge, while theother end is organic and non polar in nature. The phosphate end is watersoluble while the organic end is fat soluble. It is generally believedthis feature gives these proteins their emulsifying properties. Theprotein/fat ratio of process cheese is thus quite important indetermining proper processing conditions to achieve the desired textureof the finished product. Emulsifying proteins are not very soluble inwater, tending to clump and form grainy deposits. Therefore, fat freeprocess cheeses are normally grainy and hard in texture. This can becompared to high fat process cheeses in which one end of the proteinwill dissolve in the fat while the other end will dissolve in the water,resulting in a homogeneous product. In low fat cheese there is notenough fat to accommodate all the proteins. The excess proteins willthen separate into grainy or chalky water phase deposits. It is alsovery difficult to impart desirable cheese flavors in a conventional fatfree process because of the absence of fats and because the fats arestill the major source of flavor in fat containing cheeses.

Another difficulty in the prior art is the poor melting characteristicsof conventional low fat cheeses. Typically, such low fat cheeses areprepared from curds laving a pH in excess of 5.5. Such curd has poormelting properties, usually melts at higher temperatures and results ina heavy product which melts with difficulty and cannot be pumped verywell. These problems are believed to derive at least in part from thepresence of excessive calcium.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved methodand article of manufacture of low fat process cheese.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel product andmethod of manufacture of process cheese substantially free of fat andcholesterol and low in calories.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide an improvedmethod of manufacture and product of low fat process cheese having thetexture and flavor of typical fat containing process cheese.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a novel method ofmanufacture and product of manufacture of low fat process cheese usingcarrageenan.

It is still an additional object of the invention to provide an improvedlow fat process cheese product manufactured using selected varieties ofcheese flavorants and carrageenans with the starting material of low fatcheese.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel method ofmanufacture and product using one or more protein stabilizers to varytexture and flavor of process cheeses.

It is yet an additional object to prepare low fat, low calcium processcheese having superior melting properties.

Additional objects and advantages are set forth in the DetailedDescription and Examples and in two copending applications "Low Fat, LowCholesterol Cheese" and "Flavor Enhanced Low Fat Cheese" incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In accordance with one form of this invention, low fat cheese useful asa starting product for the process cheese inventions is described in theabove described companion application on "Low Fat, Low CholesterolCheese" filed contemporaneously with this application. Such a method ofmanufacture for low fat cheddar cheese involves, for example, using abasic starting liquid milk standardized to a low fat content in therange of roughly 0-0.3% and most preferably about 0.01-0.1%, dependingon the type of cheese being manufactured. Typically a commerciallyavailable skim milk was used although non-dairy solutions can also beused as the starting liquid milk.

In the most preferred embodiment carrageenan is a useful component forprocessing the milk to obtain the end product low fat, low cholesterolcheese. Carrageenan is a group of galactan polsaccharides extracted fromred algae and has an ester content of about 20% or more. Carrageenan isgenerally a mixture of several polysaccharides, but primarily consistsof three components, kappa, lambda, and iota. The amounts of each ofthese components or phases varies with the source.

In general, the kappa carrageenan phase contains over 34% of 3,6-anhydro-D-galactose (3, 6-AG) and 25% ester sulfate by weight. A 1.5%by weight concentration in water at 75° C. exhibits a viscosity ofroughly 50 mPa. Upon cooling a water solution of carrageenan will gel ata temperature of from about 15° to 65° C., with the gelling temperatureand gel firmness depending upon the quantity and types of metallic ions,for example K⁺, Ca⁺⁺ and NH⁴⁺, which are present in the solution.

Typically, the lambda carrageenan phase contains approximately 35 wt. %ester sulfate but includes no 3,6-AG. The lambda phase forms afree-flowing solution in water, and lambda carrageenan is a non-gellingentity. The lambda carrageenan phase produces the highest waterviscosities. Thus, for a 2.0 wt. % concentration of lambda carrageenanin water viscosities are in excess of 600 mPa.

The iota carrageenan phase contains approximately 30% 3,6-AG and 32 wt.% ester sulfate and upon cooling and in the presence of gel-inducingcations, such as Ca⁺⁺, Mg⁺⁺ and K⁺, the iota carrageenan can formelastic, syneresis-free, thermally-reversible gels at concentrations aslow as 0.3 wt. %

In the conventional manner, the carrageenan fractions described aboveshall be hereafter referred to as carrageenan, with the understandingthat reference, for example, to one of the major carrageenan phases doesnot preclude the presence of at least some of the other two phases, aswell as precursors of all the phases.

In an aspect of the invention, carrageenans are used to. controllablyreact with milk casein. Without limitation and without requiring suchactual functionality in the claims, it is believed that at certainlocations on the surface of the casein micelle there are concentrationsof positive charges which can react strongly with the negative chargesof the carrageenan. Such a reaction can form a strong matrix responsiblefor suspending milk casein and decreasing shrinkage of the curd.Irregardless of the precise chemical functionality it has been foundfrom experimentation that the carrageenan allows processing of thecheese curd to proceed in an advantageous manner and achieve a low fatcheese with taste and texture quite similar to typical fat containingcheeses.

The liquid milk used in preparing one form of low fat cheese startingmaterial for process cheese manufacture is preferably pasteurized at atemperature between about 160°-180° F. and then cooled to about 85°-95°F. The liquid milk is mixed with a stabilizer material, such as, forexample, carrageenan with the ratio of kappa to iota carrageenansadjusted. The carrageenan can also be mixed with dry skim milk and evendried whey and then dissolved in water or a volume of liquid milk toobtain the desired liquid milk mixture. In another form of the inventionthe carrageenan can be added to the milk before, rather than after,pasteurization and still achieve the desirable end product cheese. Theamount of carrageenan is preferably less than about 0.1-0.2% by weightsince further amounts have no additional beneficial effect. Mostpreferably the carrageenan is less than about 0.06% by weight.

After the carrageenan has been completely dissolved in the milksolution, a cheese formulation solution is prepared by adding thefollowing preferred cheese cultures to the milk/carrageenan solution:Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcus cremoris, Streptococcusthermophilus, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, andLactobacillus casei. After adding these cheese cultures, the resultingcheese formulation solution is stirred. This most preferred group ofcheese cultures was found to provide good acid production and flavordevelopment along with good texture improvement. This cheese culturegroup also enhances flavor development during ripening or maturing ofthe low fat cheese and also removes bitterness normally present in lowfat cheeses produced by different methods. This cheese culture will dropthe pH to about 5.0 which assists in breaking down the cheese curd forthe essential steps of melting and processing of the cheese and forachieving the final desired characteristic for the process cheeseproduct.

In another form of the invention, only selected suitable ones of thebacteria cultures are used in preparing the starting low fat cheese formanufacturing the process cheese. The most preferred combinationincludes at least Lactobacillus casei and also at least one ofStreptococcus cremoris, lactis or thermophilus. Alternately, one canalso include Lactobacillus helveticus or bulgaricus in addition toLactobacillus casei. In the case of mozzarella cheese one can choose touse only Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Thesevarious suitable cultures enable development of proper cheese texture,flavor and also remove or mask bitterness. The cheese formulationsolution is kept at temperatures from about 85°-95° F., and slowagitation was provided for about an hour. This processing time allowsfor solubilization of the carrageenans, enables a desirable reaction totake place between casein and the carrageenan; and slight aciddevelopment occurs in the cheese formulation solution (although the pHof the solution of about 6.5 does not change perceptibly). The next stepis the addition of approximately 0.01 to 0.02% calcium chloride andrennet (or other conventional clotting enzyme substitute) in the amountof about 2-4 oz. per thousand pounds of milk and then agitation isceased. The pH is still about 6.5. After about twenty to thirty minutesprocessing time and/or when the milk is substantially coagulated, thecurd is cut in a conventional manner into small sections between about1/4 to 1/2 inch in both directions. This step increases the surface areaof the curd, enhancing whey expulsion and improving heat distribution.

The curd is then left without stirring for about fifteen minutes, andthe curd is stirred slowly with the temperature raised gradually tobetween about 100°-116° F. Stirring at this high temperature continueduntil a preferred, preselected pH range of the curd is reached, about4.7-5.5 and preferably 4.9-5.1. This high temperature of about 100°-116°F. allows enhanced bacterial growth resulting in substantially improvedcheese flavor and texture properties and also improved processingconditions for the process cheese. In a most preferred form of theinvention, it is desirable to reduce pH below about 5.5 in order todissolve the calcium associated with casein micelles and to enhancemelting of skim milk cheese. The resulting cheese product generallytends to have good functionality and the appropriate characteristicsnecessary to achieve a good quality finished process cheese product.

Dry salt is added to the cheese curd product in the amount of about oneto three percent of the curd weight, and then the product is hooped andpressed.

In another form of the invention dairy flavors can be added initially tothe liquid milk, before or after pasteurization, but before furtherprocessing. The addition of such flavor additives at such an early stagein cheese manufacture leads to unexpected enhanced flavor development inthe end product. These flavorants and their beneficial effects are thesubject of the copending, incorporated patent application "FlavorEnhanced Low Fat Cheese".

As mentioned hereinbefore, various ratios of kappa to iota carrageenancan be used to produce a low fat cheese. Such additions can also be madebefore and/or after Pasteurization. The carrageenan can thus act as afat replacement, allowing the manufacturing process to proceed as ifnormal cheese were being produced (as characterized in terms of cutting,cooking and pressing). The carrageenan also restores moisture duringpressing and controls the body firmness during ripening.

In another embodiment of the invention, the carrageenan can be left outaltogether as long as a suitable bacterial culture is utilized. Thecarrageenan functions in part to control the texture of the low fatcheese prepared as a starting material for the preparation of processcheese. Therefore, since the texture of the starting material is not ofprimary importance in manufacturing process cheese, carrageenan can beused in the additional stages of manufacture of process cheese toproduce the desired process cheese texture and moisture content. Inaddition, as described hereinbefore, the suitable bacterial culture neednot include all six of the preferred species, but can include a lessernumber of select cultures.

In addition to the previously described methods of manufacturing thebasic starting material of low fat cheese, one can use the methoddescribed in the copending incorporated application in which waterwashing of the curd controls the pH. However, in the preferredembodiment bacterial action in the liquid milk and production of lacticacid cause reduction of the pH to a value less than about 5.5, andpreferably 5.0. If the pH is much more than 5.5, the melting point isincreased and takes longer to melt. The resulting product is quiteviscous or heavy which causes problems in pumping the process cheeseproduct. Generally a higher pH results in retention of greater calcium,leading to the above cited problems. At the lower pH (less than about5.5), the calcium in the casein can be more easily dissolved into thesolution and then drained off during the steps of removing the whey. Theresulting low fat cheese will exhibit improved melting and emulsifyingproperties during the steps of cooking the starting low fat cheese whichis used in the manufacture of process cheese. This present method ofremoving the calcium does not therefore require the addition ofphosphates or citrates which are normally used to tie up the calcium(but which addition would adversely affect enzymatic coagulation).

This method of producing low fat cheese at lower pH has the furtheradvantage of providing substantially enhanced growth conditions for thebacterial cultures used to break down the casein and to establishdesired cheese flavors. In this method, it is also unnecessary to usecarrageenan since texture problems can be alleviated later by usingcarrageenan during the further steps of manufacturing the process cheeseby using the starting low fat cheese material.

In the manufacture of the process cheeses, it is also not necessary touse any of the cheese flavorants when making the starting low fat cheesematerial. These flavorants can be selectively added as needed during theadditional steps of manufacturing the process cheese product.

The starting low fat cheese product prepared in accordance with any ofthe previously disclosed methods is mixed with emulsifiers andstabilizers and then pumped into a conventional cheese cooker. Thestarting low fat cheese material is then cooked with direct steaminjection until the skim milk cheese is melted. Preferred cheeseflavor(s) and starter distillate are added, and the product is cooked toa maximum temperature of about 160° F. The process cheese product canthen be packaged in forty pound blocks, and the cheese is placed in acooler at 35° F. When the internal temperature of the cheese reachesabout 35°-40° F., the cheese is ready for further processing, i.e.,shredding and cutting.

In another form of this invention, the melted cheese mass can be pumpedinto an individually wrapped process cheese slice machine to makeindividually wrapped slices or naked slices or extruded into variousshapes.

The following nonlimiting examples illustrate preparation of a range ofdifferent low fat process cheeses. The basic inventions can however bepracticed by one of ordinary skill in the art to manufacture anyselected type of common process cheese by using the appropriateknowledge for making typical fat containing cheeses but using theteachings herein of the components and methods set forth in thespecification and Examples, as modified to achieve the selected cheeseflavor and texture but without substantial fat content.

EXAMPLES Example 1

Six thousand pounds of fat free, cholesterol free, low calorie processcheese product, which has the flavor and texture of full fat Americanprocess cheese, was manufactured as follows: in a cheese blender thefollowing were blended, 3,840 lbs. skim milk cheese, 24 lbs. kappa and12 lbs. iota carrageenan, 6 lbs. guar gum, 6 lbs. xanghan gum, 141.6lbs. sodium citrate, 12 lbs. sorbic acid, 2.4 lbs. of a conventionalflavor enhancer, 318 lbs. whey solids, 1.8 lbs. annoto color and 1140lbs. water. Ingredients were drawn into a 400 lbs. size direct steaminjection cheese cooker in which the cheese was pasteurized at 160 F.Then, 8.0 lbs. of one of the previously described cheese flavors and 1.2lbs. starter distillate were added, and the product was pumped into aholding tank and packaged in 40 lb. boxes and cooled to 40 F. Thefinished product contained approximately 57-58% moisture, about 1% salt,5.5-5.9 pH, and less than about 1% fat and 0.6-1.0% carrageenan. Theproduct exhibits good cutting, shredding and melting characteristics. Inanother form of this example the melted cheese was pumped from theholding tank into equipment adapted for making either hot or cold formedcheese singles.

Example 2

Mozzarella process cheese product was manufactured according to Example1 with the following modifications: no color was added and conventionalmozzarella type cheese flavor was utilized.

Example 3

Low sodium, fat free, cholesterol free and low calorie process cheeseproduct was manufactured as in Example 1, but sodium citrate wasreplaced with potassium citrate.

Examples 4-7

Six thousand pounds of fat free, cholesterol free and low calorieprocess cheese product was manufactured as follows: 3840 lbs. skim milkcheese (prepared using the method of Example 1 of the copendingincorporated patent application), 12 lbs. kappa carrageenan, 6 lbs. iotacarrageenan, 60 lbs. sodium citrate, 60 lbs. disodium phosphate, 21 lbs.sodium aluminum phosphate and various gums described in Table 1. Byvarying the stabilizer type and/or percentage, fat free process cheeseproducts of varying characteristics and properties are obtained. Table 1summarizes the stabilizers used for Examples 4-7.

                  TABLE 1                                                         ______________________________________                                        Example       Stabilizer                                                      ______________________________________                                        4             .2% Gelatin                                                     5             .2% Microcrystaline Cellulose                                   6             .2% Carboxymethyl Cellulose                                     7             .1% of each of the above                                        ______________________________________                                    

While the present invention has been described with reference tospecific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that numerousmodifications may be made by those skilled in the art without actuallydeparting from the scope of the planned invention. Accordingly,modifications and equivalents can be contemplated to fall within thescope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

I claim:
 1. A method for the manufacture of a low fat cheese startingmaterial suitable for manufacturing process cheese, comprising the stepsof:(a) preparing a starting liquid milk having a fat content of about0-0.3%; (b) mixing a stabilizer and a lactic acid producing culture withsaid starting liquid milk thereby forming a starting cheese formulationsolution; (c) processing said cheese formulation solution by reactingclotting enzyme means with said cheese formulation solution andcoagulating said solution thereby forming a curd in a whey solution; (d)cutting said curd thereby increasing surface area of said curd in saidwhey solution, achieving a pH of between 4.7-5.5 for said curd in saidwhey solution and dissolving Ca into said whey solution by a stepconsisting essentially of maintaining the pH of said curd between4.7-5.5; (e) separating said whey solution from said curd, adding coldwater to said curd to help in controlling pH of said curd, said wheysolution including calcium dissolved in step (d); and then (f) ripeningsaid curd to form said cheese starting material having a fat contentarising from the fat content of said starting liquid milk.
 2. The methodas defined in claim 1 wherein said step (c) includes the addition ofrennet or rennin to said cheese formulation solution.
 3. The method asdefined in claim 1 wherein said preselected pH range is about 5.0-5.5.4. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said lactic acid producingculture consists essentially of Lactobacillus casei and at least onebacterial culture selected from the group consisting of Streptococcuscremoris, S. lactis, S. thermophilus, Lactobacillus helveticus and L.bulgaricus.
 5. A method of manufacturing a low fat process cheeseproduct, comprising the steps of:(a) manufacturing a low fat naturalcheese product having less than 3% fat by adding a lactic acid-producingculture and clotting enzyme means to a starting milk solution, saidculture causing fermentation of said starting milk solution and saidclotting enzyme means causing formation of a curd in a whey solution,and then cutting said curd, achieving a pH between 4.7-5.5 for said curdin said whey solution and dissolving Ca into said whey solution by astep consisting essentially of maintaining the pH of said curd between4.7-5.5 and then separating said whey solution from said curd; (b)adding a stabilizer to said natural cheese product; and then (c) cookingsaid natural cheese product and added stabilizer at a temperaturesufficient to melt said natural cheese product thereby forming said lowfat process cheese product.
 6. The method as defined in claim 5 whereinsaid curd in step (a) forms a mass having a size greater than at leastone-quarter inch.
 7. The method as defined in claim 5 further includingpasteurizing said natural cheese product and adding said flavorantsbefore said pasteurizing step.
 8. The method as defined in claim 5wherein said stabilizer is less than about 0.2% by weight of the milkused to make said natural cheese product.
 9. The method as defined inclaim 5 further including the step of adding supplementary stabilizermaterials to said natural cheese product.
 10. The method as defined inclaim 5 wherein said stabilizer is selected from the group consisting ofcarrageenan, gelatin, microcrystalline cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose and mixtures thereof.
 11. A method for the manufacture of alow fat natural cheese product suitable for process cheesemanufacturing, comprising the steps of:(a) preparing a starting liquidmilk having a fat content of about 0-0.3%; (b) adding a stability and alactic acid producing cheese culture to said starting liquid milkthereby forming a starting cheese formulation solution; (c) reactingsaid cheese formulation solution with clotting enzyme means andcoagulating said solution thereby forming a curd in a whey solution; (d)cutting and then cooking said curd at an elevated temperature less than49° C. and at a pH of about 4.7-5.5 and dissolving Ca into said wheysolution by a step consisting of maintaining the pH of said curd betweenabout 4.7-5.5; (e) separating said whey solution from said curd, addingcold water to said curd to help in controlling pH of said curd, saidwhey solution including calcium dissolved in step (d); and then (f)ripening said curd to form said low fat natural cheese product having afat content arising from the fat content of said starting liquid milk.12. The method as defied claim 11 wherein said boric acid producingcheese culture is selected from the group consisting of Streptococcuslactis, Streptococcus cremoris, S. thermophilus, Lactobacillushelveticus, L. bulgaricus and L. casei.
 13. The method as defined inclaim 11 wherein said lactic acid producing cheese culture consists ofLactobacillus casei and at least one bacteria culture selected from thegroup consisting of Streptococcus cremoris, S. lactis, S. thermophilus,Lactobacillus helveticus, and L. bulgaricus.
 14. The method as definedin claim 11 wherein said step (c) includes adding rennet or rennin tosaid cheese formulation solution.
 15. The method as defined in claim 11wherein said stabilizer is less than about 0.2% by weight of saidstarting liquid milk.
 16. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein saidstabilizer consists essentially of carrageenan comprising kappa and iotaphases having a ratio of between about 3:1 to 1:5.
 17. A method ofmanufacturing a real process cheese product, comprising the steps of:(a)preparing a starting liquid milk having a fat content of about 0-0.3%;(b) adding a lactic acid producing culture to said starting liquid milkthereby forming a starting cheese formulation solution, said culturecausing fermentation of said starting liquid milk; (c) reacting saidcheese formulation solution with clotting enzyme means to coagulate saidsolution thereby forming a curd in a whey solution with the curd forminga mass having a size of at least one-quarter inch; (d) cutting said curdthereby increasing surface area of said curd in said whey solution,achieving a pH between 4.7 and 5.5 for said curd in said whey solutionand dissolving Ca into said whey solution by a step consistingessentially of maintaining the pH of said curd between 4.7-5.5; (e)separating said whey solution from said curd, adding cold water to saidcurd to help in controlling pH of said curd, said whey solutionincluding calcium dissolved in step (d); (f) ripening said curd to forma natural cheese product having a fat content arising from the fatcontent of said starting liquid milk; (g) adding a stabilizer to saidnatural cheese product; and then (h) cooking said natural cheese productat a temperature sufficient to melt said natural cheese product therebyforming said real process cheese product.
 18. The method as defined inclaim 17 wherein said process cheese product includes about 0.6-1.0%carrageenan as said stabilizer.
 19. The method as defined in claim 17wherein said process cheese product is selected from the groupconsisting of process Cheddar cheese, process Colby cheese, processmozzarella cheese, process Jack cheese, process Gouda cheese, processAmerican Cheese, process Muenster cheese, process Swiss cheese, processblue cheese, process Romano cheese, process Parmesan cheese and processCamembert cheese.
 20. A method of manufacturing a low fat process cheeseproduct, comprising the steps of:(a) manufacturing a low fat naturalcheese product by adding a lactic acid-producing culture to a startingmilk solution having a fat content of about 0-0.3% and further addingclotting enzyme means to said starting milk solution to form a curd in awhey solution, cutting said curd, achieving a pH range of 4.7-5.5 forsaid curd in said whey solution and dissolving Ca into said wheysolution by a step consisting essentially of maintaining the pH of saidcurd between 4.7-5.5; (b) separating said whey solution from said curdhaving a fat content arising from the fat content of said starting milksolution and ripening said curd to form said natural cheese product; (c)adding a stabilizer to said natural cheese product; and then (d) cookingsaid natural cheese product and added stabilizer above a temperaturesufficient to melt said natural cheese product thereby forming said lowfat process cheese product.
 21. The method as defined in claim 20wherein said stabilizer is selected from the group consisting ofcarrageenan, and gelatin, microcrystalline cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose and mixtures thereof.
 22. A method for the manufacture of alow fat cheese product, comprising the steps of:(a) preparing a startingliquid skim milk having a fat content of about 0-0.3%; (b) mixing alactic acid producing culture with said starting liquid skim milkthereby forming a starting cheese formulation solution; (c) processingsaid cheese formulation solution by reacting clotting enzyme means withsaid cheese formulation solution and coagulating said solution therebyforming a curd in a whey solution; (d) cutting said curd therebyincreasing surface area of said curd in said whey solution, achieving apH ranging from 4.7 to less than 5.5 for said curd in said whey solutionand dissolving Ca into said whey solution by a step consistingessentially of maintaining the pH of said curd between 4.7 and less than5.5; (e) separating said whey solution from said curd, adding cold waterto said curd to help in controlling pH of said curd, said whey solutionincluding calcium dissolved in step (d); and then (f) ripening said curdto form said cheese starting material having a fat content arising fromthe fat content of said starting liquid skim milk.
 23. The method asdefined in claim 22 wherein said step (c) includes the addition ofrennet or rennin to said cheese formulation solution.
 24. The method asdefined in claim 22 wherein said preselected pH range is about 4.7-5.1.25. The method as defined in claim 22 wherein said lactic acid producingculture consists essentially of Lactobacillus casei and at least onebacterial culture selected from the group consisting of Streptococcuscremoris, S. lactis, S. thermophilus, Lactobacillus helveticus and L.bulgaricus.
 26. A method of manufacturing a low fat process cheeseproduct having less than 3% fat, comprising the steps of:(a) adding alactic acid-producing culture and clotting enzyme means to a startingmilk solution to form a curd in a whey solution, said lactic acidculture causing fermentation of said starting milk solution; (b) cuttingsaid curd to form curd chunk sections having a size of at leastone-quarter inch and achieving a pH over the range of 4.7 to less than5.5 for said curd in said whey solution and dissolving Ca into said wheysolution by a step consisting essentially of maintaining the pH of saidcurd from 4.7 to less than 5.5; (c) separating said whey solution fromsaid curd; (d) adding a stabilizer to said curd; and (e) cooking saidcurd and added stabilizer at a temperature sufficient to melt said curdthereby forming said low fat process cheese product.
 27. The method asdefined in claim 26 wherein said stabilizer is selected from the groupconsisting of gelatin, microcrystalline cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose and mixtures thereof.
 28. A method for the manufacture of alow fat cheese product, comprising the steps of:(a) preparing a startingliquid skim milk having a fat content of about 0-0.3%; (b) adding astabilizer, selected from the group consisting of gelatin,microcrystalline cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose and mixturesthereof, and a lactic acid producing cheese culture to said startingliquid skim milk thereby forming a starting cheese formulation solution;(c) reacting said cheese formulation solution with clotting enzyme meansand coagulating said solution thereby forming a curd in a whey solution;(d) cutting said curd into macroscopic size sections and then cookingsaid curd at an elevated temperature and at a pH ranging from 4.7 toless than 5.5 and dissolving Ca into said whey solution by a stepconsisting essentially of maintaining the pH of said curd between 4.7and less than 5.5; (e) separating said whey solution from said curd,adding cold water to said curd to help in controlling pH of said curd,said whey solution including calcium dissolved in step (d); and then (f)ripening said curd to form said low fat cheese product having a fatcontent arising from the fat content of said starting liquid skim milk.29. The method as defined in claim 28 wherein said lactic acid producingcheese culture is selected from the group consisting of Streptococcuslactis, Streptococcus cremoris, S. thermophilus, Lactobacillushelveticus, L. bulgaricus and L. casei, further including a furthercomponent bacteria culture selected from the group consisting ofStreptococcus cremoris, S. lactis, S. thermophilus, Lactobacillushelveticus, and L. bulgaricus.
 30. A method of manufacturing a realprocess cheese product, comprising the steps of:(a) preparing a startingliquid skim milk having a fat content of about 0-0.3%; (b) adding alactic acid producing culture to said starting liquid skim milk therebyforming a starting cheese formulation solution, said culture causingfermentation of said starting skim milk; (c) reacting said cheeseformulation solution with clotting enzyme means to coagulate saidsolution thereby forming a curd in a whey solution; (d) cutting saidcurd thereby increasing surface area of said curd in said whey solution,achieving a pH ranging from 4.7 to less than 5.5 for said curd in saidwhey solution and dissolving Ca into said whey solution by a stepconsisting essentially of maintaining the pH of said curd between 4.7and less than 5.5; (e) separating said whey solution from said curd,adding cold water to said curd to help in controlling pH of said curd,said whey solution including calcium dissolved in step (d); (f) ripeningsaid curd to form a natural cheese product having a fat content arisingfrom the fat content of said starting liquid milk; (g) adding astabilizer to said natural cheese product; and then (h) cooking saidnatural cheese product at a temperature sufficient to melt said naturalcheese product thereby forming said real process cheese product.
 31. Amethod of manufacturing a low fat process cheese product, comprising thesteps of:(a) manufacturing a low fat natural cheese product having lessthan 3% fat by adding a culture to a starting skim milk causingfermentation of the starting skim milk and also adding clotting enzymemeans to the starting skim milk to form a curd in a whey solution withthe size of the curd being at least one-quarter inch in at least onedimension, cutting said curd, achieving a pH ranging from 4.7 to lessthan 5.5 for said curd in said whey solution and dissolving Ca into saidwhey solution by a step consisting essentially of maintaining the pH ofsaid curd between 4.7 and less than 5.5 and then separating said wheysolution from said curd; (b) adding a stabilizer to said natural cheeseproduct; and then (c) cooking said natural cheese product and addedstabilizer above a temperature sufficient to melt said natural cheeseproduct thereby forming said low fat process cheese product.
 32. Themethod as defined in claim 31 wherein said stabilizer is selected fromthe group consisting of carrageenan, gelatin, microcrystallinecellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose and mixtures thereof.
 33. A methodfor the manufacture of a low fat cheese product, comprising the stepsof:(a) preparing a starting liquid skim milk having a fat content ofabout 0-0.3%; (b) mixing a stabilize and a lactic acid producing culturewith said starting liquid skim milk thereby forming a starting cheeseformulation solution; (c) processing said cheese formulation solution byreacting clotting enzyme means with said cheese formulation solution andcoagulating said solution thereby forming a curd in a whey solution; (d)cutting said curd thereby increasing surface area of said curd in saidwhey solution, achieving a pH ranging between about 4.7 and less than5.5 for said curd in said whey solution and dissolving Ca into said wheysolution by a step consisting of maintaining the pH of said curd betweenabout 4.7 and less than 5.5; (e) separating said whey solution from saidcurd, adding cold water to said curd to help in controlling pH of saidcurd, said whey solution including calcium dissolved in step (d); andthen (f) ripening said curd to form said low fat cheese product having afat content arising from the fat content of said starting liquid milk.